AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

OIL SEEDS

A variety of oil-seeds is grown in the district. The acreage under oil-seeds in 1960-61 was 28573.560 hectares (70,552 acres). Groundnut, safflower and sesamum were important among edible oil-seeds whereas linseed and niger-seed were important among non-edible oil-seeds. Out of the net area sown viz., 683192.475 hectares (16,86,895 acres) in 1960-61, oil-seeds accounted for only 4.2 per cent. This reveals that oil-seeds were cultivated on a relatively small scale. Table No. 18 indicates acreage under oil-seeds in Amravati district in 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1960-61.

TABLE No. 18

AREA UNDER OIL-SEEDS (TALUKA-WISE) IN AMRAVATI DISTRICT IN 1958-59, 1959-60 AND 1960-61.

(Area in hectares¹)

TABLE No. 18-cont.

(Area in hectares¹)

¹ Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

*Note.-Also includes the acreage under Coconut, Rape, Mustard, Safflower, Castor, Niger seed and such other minor oil-seeds.

Groundnut.

Groundnut (bhuimug) is the most important oil-seed crop of the district and covered an area of 18352.980 hectares (45,316 acres) in 1960-61. It was grown in almost all the talukas of the district but Chandur and Amravati were the main areas producing groundnut. These two talukas together accounted for 13489.335 hectares (33.307 acres) or as much as 73.5 per cent of the tolal acreage under the crop. Morshi taluka ranked next in order with 2973.105 hectares (7,341 acres) or 16.2 per cent of the total acreage.

Groundnut is produced as a kharif crop and is grown on medium and lighter types of soils. It is sown in July and harvested in October-November. When grown on medium type of soils a second crop of wheat is produced wherever irrigation facilities are available. Groundnut crop is usually rotated with cotton and jowar. Generally, cotton is grown after groundnut crop. Cow-dung manure is generally applied to the crop. Groundnut seed is either dibbled or drilled with argada and sarata. Nearly 80 lbs. of kernels are required for sowing an acre of land. The total outturn of groundnut crop in the district was 8144.256 metric tons (8.016 tons) in 1960-61.

The Department of Agriculture has introduced, in the district, a scheme for multiplication and distribution of groundnut variety Ak. 12-24. About 17415 hectares (43,000 acres) of land had been covered by this variety and it was expected that within the next few years the entire area under groundnut would be covered by it. There were other varieties of groundnut grown in the district like Dhobali, Lal Japan, Tija (Ak-10). etc. Average yield per acre varied from 600 lbs. to 800 lbs. Tija is a staple variety. Groundnut kernel is used in a variety of ways. Its oil is used for cooking. The cake is used as a manure. It serves as an excellent manure for oranges and bananas. It is also a good nutritious food for cattle.

Sesamum.

Sesamum (til) covered an area of 2980.395 hectares (7,359 acres) of land in the district in 1960-61. Melghat, Daryapur and Amravati had an area of 705.915 hectares (1,743 acres); 607.500 hectares (1,500 acres) and 557.280 hectares (1,376 acres), respectively, under this crop. It is grown both as a kharif as well as a rabi crop. When produced in kharif, it is sown in June-July and harvested in October. Local non-descript varieties are grown in the district. Its oil is used for cooking and the cake as cattle-feed. The total outturn of the sesamum crop for the district was 644.7 tons in 1960-61.

Safflower.

Safflower (karadi) was cultivated on a small area of 57.510 hectares (142 acres). Amravati taluka alone accounted for 62 per cent or 35.640 hectares (88 acres). It is grown in rabi season and is never sown as a single crop. It is generally sown as a hedge to wheat crop. It serves as a fence because cattle finds it hard to trespass the thorny leaves of safflower. It is sown in October-November and harvested in February-March.

Linseed.

Linseed (Javas) covered an area of 6437.880 hectares (15,8896 acres) in 1960-61. Daryapur talnka alone accounted for 3284.145 hectares (8,109 acres) or little more than 50 per cent. It was followed by Amravati taluka which claimed 1996.245 hectares (4,929 acres) or 31 per cent of the total area under linseed. It is grown only in rabi season as a single crop. The seed is generally sown early in October and is harvested in January. Many a cultivator used linseed oil for cooking. Linseed cake is a good manure as also the best food for milch cattle. The total outturn of the crop amounted to 1639.9 tons in 1960-61.

Other Oil-seeds.

Besides the oil-seeds described so far, other oil-seeds such as mustard, castor seed and niger seed are also grown in the district. Castor (erandi) seed covered as area of 126.765 hectares (313 acres) of which 59.535 hectares (147 acres) were found in Morshi taluka. It is generally grown as a mixed crop with chillis and other vegetables for the purpose of providing shade. Mustard (Mohari) covered 19.845 hectares (49 acres) of which 14.985 hectares (37 acres) were accounted for by Daryapur taluka. Niger seed occupied an area of 590.895 hectares (1,459 acres). The cultivation of niger seed was concentrated in Melghat taluka which accounted for almost the entire acreage under the crop in the district.

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